Hopefully, PAWN is out of the realm of JBP...
You know, that nifty idea Madame Dole came up with in the early 80s. "Raise the drinking age to 21 for ****s and giggles". What gives? Only country in the world with a legal age this high. I know it was instituted to prevent drunk driving by teens (MADD has a love affair with 21), however, statistically it hasn't done anything (pro-21 organizations claim that drunk driving rates dropped dramatically following the passing of the 21 Minimum Drinking Age Act. This is true, however, the statistics are following the passing in 1984, and it was not instituted until 1987.)
I find that age-based prohibition works about as well as "abstinence only" sexual education for teens. 18+ (and 16+) year olds will continue to drink with such laws, but they will do so far more abusively and heavily, due to lack of access and alcohol education. European nations, with 16 and 18 year old drinking ages do not have such rampant problems with teen alcoholism and teen drunk driving. Why? I would think part of it would be cultural-Europeans are brought up in a culture which indulges itself in alcohol, but in moderation (including parental education, something the US lacks). The other part is liable to be higher age limits on driving, and the lack of the automobile as a major mode of status and transport amongst European teens.
Why is it that I'm allowed to get behind the wheel of a lethal motorized hunk of glass and steel, but not allowed to sip champagne in a hot tub following my high school graduation?
Anyway...thoughts? Just been something bothering me for the past...ever.
You know, that nifty idea Madame Dole came up with in the early 80s. "Raise the drinking age to 21 for ****s and giggles". What gives? Only country in the world with a legal age this high. I know it was instituted to prevent drunk driving by teens (MADD has a love affair with 21), however, statistically it hasn't done anything (pro-21 organizations claim that drunk driving rates dropped dramatically following the passing of the 21 Minimum Drinking Age Act. This is true, however, the statistics are following the passing in 1984, and it was not instituted until 1987.)
I find that age-based prohibition works about as well as "abstinence only" sexual education for teens. 18+ (and 16+) year olds will continue to drink with such laws, but they will do so far more abusively and heavily, due to lack of access and alcohol education. European nations, with 16 and 18 year old drinking ages do not have such rampant problems with teen alcoholism and teen drunk driving. Why? I would think part of it would be cultural-Europeans are brought up in a culture which indulges itself in alcohol, but in moderation (including parental education, something the US lacks). The other part is liable to be higher age limits on driving, and the lack of the automobile as a major mode of status and transport amongst European teens.
Why is it that I'm allowed to get behind the wheel of a lethal motorized hunk of glass and steel, but not allowed to sip champagne in a hot tub following my high school graduation?
Anyway...thoughts? Just been something bothering me for the past...ever.